Nadal storms home to win Rio Open

RIO DE JANEIRO - World No.1 Rafael Nadal has shrugged off the injury concerns that wrecked his Australian Open bid as he dismantled Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 7-6 to win the Rio Open.

The 13-time Grand Slam winner showed no evidence of the back injury that hampered him in Melbourne as he wrapped up his 48th ATP title against an opponent with no answer to the relentless pressure exerted by the Spanish clay-court legend.

And by winning a 43rd career clay court title, the 27-year-old threw down a gauntlet to pretenders to his French Open crowd which he defends in Paris in May.

Nadal went into the match with a 4-0 winning record against Dolgopolov with the Ukrainian never having even broken the world No.1's service.